Dec
18
2009
The NJ Chiropractic Council on Neurology, in cooperation with the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) Council on Neurology, has developed and implemented fall prevention testing protocols that underscore, as recent legislature does, the need to reduce falls, particularly in the elderly population.
The text of the Elder Fall Prevention Act notes a number of sobering statistics regarding the consequences of falls, including the fact that “Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among individuals older than age 65″. 25% of elderly individuals who sustain a hip fracture die within one year; and nearly 65,000 individuals older than age 65 sustain a traumatic brain injury annually as the result of a fall. And in a recent study evaluating disability in the elderly population, the results of which were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, “Hospital admissions for falls were most likely to lead to disability”.
Members of the NJ Council on Neurology use a screening technology that, according to the manufacturer, allows a clinician to predict the probability of a fall with a .002% false positive. (Meaning very accurate). The testing, which takes only seconds, allows the user to provide those tested with a statistical report that they can clearly understand. According to nationwide testing results, more than 50% of seniors tested have significant risks of falling, despite showing no symptomatology whatsoever.
The current testing apparatus is designed to bring neurologists of chiropractic medicine background to the forefront of fall prevention testing and treatment protocols. Additionally, the council has received countless requests for referrals to those trained in fall prevention. The council says it does not currently have enough adequately trained clinicians to meet the demand for referral and fall prevention management.
For more information on fall prevention and testing, contact Dr. Scopelliti, President of the NJ Chiropractic Council on Neurology.
